2013 Kia Optima Ex 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

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Kia dealer: Soul EV nothing but a political statement

It looks like Kia of Vancouver didn't get the company memo. While the South Korean company is expanding the sales area for the Soul electric vehicle, management at a Kia dealer in British Columbia's biggest city isn't convinced of the EV's earth-saving and potentially dollar-saving attributes, according to Inside EVs. Managers spelled out their reasoning in a series of alleged e-mails to a prospective customer, and you have to admire their conviction. One of Kia of Vancouver's managers referred to the Soul EV as a "social/political statement," and spelled out his opinion that the model won't help the environment because of what he says is the extra carbon cost to produce an electric battery (a long-debated subject). A second manager from the dealership took a slightly more conciliatory tone but still questioned whether the extra new-vehicle cost would allow for the prospective driver to save money while calling gas-powered cars "more reliable," according to Inside EVs. The automaker isn't happy. "Kia Canada disagrees with the statements made and is in the process of addressing this matter," Kia Canada spokesman Jack Sulymka told AutoblogGreen. The Soul EV just won the first-ever Canadian Green Car of the Year Award, beating out the Honda Fit, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry Hybrid in the process. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2015 Kia Soul EV: Quick Spin View 37 Photos News Source: Inside EVs via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Drew Phillips Photography Green Kia Electric kia soul ev

Hyundai, Kia recall 640,000 vehicles for leaks that can cause fires

DETROIT — Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 600,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada to fix a brake fluid leak that could cause engine fires. The recalls cover more than 440,000 Kia Optima midsize sedans from 2013 through 2015 and Kia Sorento SUVs from 2014 and 2015. Also covered are 203,000 Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs from 2013 to 2015. The affiliated automakers say brake fluid can leak inside a hydraulic control unit for the anti-lock brakes, possibly causing an electrical short that can lead to fires. Kia's recall will start Oct. 15, while Hyundai's will start Oct. 23. Dealers for both companies will inspect the control units for leaks and replace them if needed at no cost to owners. In company documents posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, Hyundai said it had 15 reports of engine fires caused by the fluid leaks, while Kia said it had eight. Hyundai said it's not aware of any injuries, and Kia said it had none. Hyundai said in a statement that there's no need to park vehicles outdoors before the problem is fixed, but if the anti-lock brake warning light comes on, owners should not drive their vehicles and should contact a dealer. They also should disconnect the 12-volt battery by removing the positive cable, the company said. Hyundai documents said the company received its first complaint about an engine fire in a 2014 Santa Fe in April 2018, and it started an investigation. Kia began investigating after getting a complaint of a melted control unit in a 2015 Sorento last February. The recalls are the latest in a series of engine fire problems that have plagued the two automakers and have touched off investigations by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In February, Hyundai recalled nearly 430,000 small cars for a similar but apparently unrelated problem. The company said water can get into the antilock brake computer, cause an electrical short and possibly an engine fire. That recall covered certain 2006 through 2011 Elantra and 2007 through 2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. The company said the electrical short could cause a fire even when the cars are turned off. Hyundai said the latest recall is not related to the previous recalls or the U.S. investigations.

Kia teases next-gen K5 in South Korea, foreshadows our Optima

Now that the redesigned Hyundai Sonata is down the road burning gas, Kia's loading the next-generation Optima into the chute. The automaker teased the South Korean-market K5 — our Optima — on Facebook, revealing a sedan that will bring a new attitude to the midsize competitor. The sketches largely line up with spy shots we got a couple of months ago, starting with the clamshell hood running down to a narrower, wider tiger nose grille. Two creases in the center of the hood bracket the Kia logo. We can't know what trim is on display in the rendering, but the pictured upper and lower grilles give up the mesh pattern on the current car for horizontal strakes. A pair of DRLs frame the front fascia, the Z-shaped light signature longer and more abstracted than that on the Cadenza sedan.  The profile includes a couple of signature strokes that create a wholly different impression. Moving the side mirrors to the doors emphasizes the sharp takeoff point for the greenhouse, emphasized with a chrome trim strip that could have come off a stretched Aston Martin DB11. Instead of the rear glass behind the C-pillar picking up from the edge of the backlight as on the current car and forming their own profile, the sketch show a faster glass design angled back to follow the shape of the roof. Lower down, the character line in the sketch rises from the front wheel arch to the rear door, then falls sharply to the rear wheel arch. We can't make out this line in any of the spy shots, though. The rear gets a lot edgier. It's possible the chrome greenhouse trim dips around the bottom backlight to form a single line around the car. A short decklid is backed by an integrated lip. A single taillight of dashed LEDs runs across the width, bookended by a tight V shape.  Wholesale change inside stresses the horizontal span. A slightly modified steering wheel sits ahead of a digital dash cluster. A second widescreen sits atop an instrument panel cut by wide, narrow vents and marked by fewer buttons. On the center console, the shifter's replaced with a rotary knob.  A debut could come before the end of the year, the sedan likely a 2021-model-year offering. Engines should mirror Sonata powertrains, consisting of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder shifting through an eight-speed transmission, and a more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder expected to join the lineup.